The LIFE WILDisland project, represented by Donau-Auen National Park, Austria; Romsilva, Romania and Vojvodinasume, Serbia, took part in the LIFE Platform Meeting on Forest Restoration in Europe, which took place in Brașov, România on 3-5 June 2025. Hosted by the FOUNDATION CONSERVATION CARPATHIA and its LIFE CARPATHIA project, the European Commission DG Environment and CINEA this event demonstrated how LIFE-funded projects are delivering tangible results and shaping the future of forest restoration in Europe.
We were really happy to see softwood riparian forests and their conservation significance were also considered and included in the programme with two projects - the WILDisland and the LIFE Restore4MDD sister-project of WWF Austria, we share not only values but also partners with. Our team lead a work group session and presented an on-site poster.
The last day of the meeting we had the wonderful opportunity to visit some of the Carpathia foundation project sites - a tree nursery and a Beaver restoration site.
This event brought together more than 90 practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders to address the urgent challenges facing European forests, including biodiversity loss, climate change impacts, and socio-economic pressures. With decades of success in funding impactful conservation and restoration projects, the LIFE Programme has become a cornerstone for advancing forest protection, sustainable management, and restoration efforts. Attendees will explore innovative solutions and share best practices to enhance capacity of forests to provide critical ecosystem services such as climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, and community resilience.
The meeting highlighted key themes such as ecological restoration, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the integration of agro-silvopastoral systems into modern conservation strategies. It also examined socio-economic opportunities linked to sustainable forest management, including bioeconomy models, carbon certification, and payments for ecosystem services. Through a mix of plenary sessions, breakout discussions, and field visits, participants developed actionable recommendations to guide EU and national policies.
We are really grateful for the invitation and wonderful opportunity to exchange techniques, visions and priorities.
